We were privileged in Minnesota to be able to root for such an interesting player. He was a black-skinned Puerto Rico native. I mention race only because race friction was most evident when Power broke into the majors. The friction was not eradicated swiftly. Power's promotion to the majors should have happened sooner and it should have happened with the New York Yankees. He built a reputation as a blue-chip prospect when he was in the minors.
It sounds quaint and depressing to review now, but the Yankees were under pressure to add a black player. New York's other teams of the time, the Dodgers and Giants, had accomplished this. The storied Yankees just sat there and went 'Hmmm." Actually they said more than that. We always see stumbling dinosaurs during periods of cultural enlightenment, as we are seeing now with old white male Republicans and the Kavanaugh confirmation. There are quotes that live in infamy. We hear the joke about RBG and Abraham Lincoln.
Assessing Power when he was clearly ready for promotion, Yankees General Manager George Weiss said (ahem): "Maybe (Power) can play, but not for us. He's impudent and he goes for white women. Power is not the Yankee type. The truth is that our box-seat customers from Westchester County don't want to sit with a lot of colored fans from Harlem."
A dinosaur not from the Jurassic Period but Triassic.
Let's note that Power grew up in Puerto Rico where the races mixed freely. He said of his native island: "Here we were all together."
Power made his inevitable jump to the majors but not with the Yankees. We were privileged here in Minnesota seeing the great first baseman during a chunk of his prime. Power was at his best as a Twin in 1962. I gather McRoberts was in the stands to see him play firsthand. My parents didn't take me to a game at Metropolitan Stadium until a couple years later.
I remember being most familiar with Power when he wore the "TC" cap. Power was one of the best fielding first basemen in baseball history. He was effective and also flashy with his fielding style, although he denied being flashy just for the sake of it. Power was so good, he got a "5" fielder's rating as first baseman, almost unheard-of, in the APBA baseball simulation game. He made one-handed grabs and often made a sweeping motion with his glove. The fact he was black compounded the issue with his alleged "showboating" style.
It's hard to talk about today: the race questions. Race issues in sports have basically disappeared, haven't they? Will there be a time in the future when women never have to feel defensive, never have to feel on the ropes as it were (in the face of "Abe Lincoln" jokes), about coming forward with sex harassment claims? Will many of the Republicans of today come across as George Weiss types?
The Twins liked getting Power because we had a young and raw infield where throws could be a little errant. Our original third baseman, Rich Rollins, told Power at season's end: "You must have saved me 25 errors."
McRoberts and other enthused Twins fans of that era had lots to celebrate in 1962. So impressive was Vic Power, he was voted team MVP. We were second place in a time when there were no wild cards advancing into post-season. We won 91 games and lost 71. Yet there was no post-season for us. The Yankees were still in the prime of their dynasty of that era. The Yanks took the flag.
Our Harmon Killebrew hit 48 home runs and drove in 126 runs. Curveball specialist Camilo Pascual was a 20-game winner and led the A.L. in strikeouts with 206. Unfortunately Power was not an all-star game selection. Rollins and Pascual made that circle along with Earl Battey and Jim Kaat. Jack Kralick threw a no-hitter. Power won the Gold Glove for his unique first base prowess. Battey and Kaat also won Gold Gloves as catcher and pitcher, respectively.
It is a shame that Power wasn't still around in Minnesota when we won the pennant in 1965. The '65 team stood out for that decade in our collective memory. But in '62 with Minnesota in just its second year in the bigs, we made significant waves. McRoberts and yours truly remember fondly.
Here I share some song lyrics I wrote about the great Vic Power. The melody for this is the AABB type, the first such melody I have written. Please enjoy these story-telling lyrics about the pioneering Puerto Rico native:
"Ballad of Vic Power"
by Brian Williams
Master with his baseball glove
Holding forth at first
He could rule around that bag
Best on Planet Earth
He came from an island land
Where his race meant naught
Would that this reality
Could come right along
No it was a daunting time
In the USA
Blacks were making halting steps
In the grand old game
Victor stepped up to the plate
Philly was his team
Not the Phillies but the A's
When they played out East
Then the team got restless feet
Moving to K.C.
In the heartland Vic was true
planting down his cleats
Next the Indians were his team
Hats off to the Tribe
Victor hit his frozen ropes
Giving fans good vibes
He was the flamboyant sort
With his glove and bat
Some disliked the flashy style
'Cause his skin was black
Yes it was a different time
Norman Rockwell ruled
With an image of our land
And its all-white schools
'62 was when Vic joined
Minnesota Twins
Cold War reared its ugly head
Could the good guys win?
No the missiles never fell
Hallelujah all
Victor made the fans feel good
Answering the call
Twins were in their second year
Second place they were
Nipping at the Yankees' heels
Coming close for sure
Victor was the MVP
Of that fledgling team
Formerly the Senators
Now they had a gleam
Gold Gloves were his stock in trade
Seven on his shelf
He was first base royalty
Matched by no one else
Twice he had a steal of home
Sliding in for keeps
He could keep fans mesmerized
In the summer heat
In the annals of the Twins
He commands a place
Up where we see Killebrew
In his home run race
With the "TC" on his cap
Victor sure came through
In his prime and with a smile
There at first he ruled
Stellar fielding stabilized
In the infield scheme
He brought out the best for sure
On this climbing team
Rich and Zoilo, Bernie too
Joined Vic in the cast
Of the infield for the Twins
As fans had a blast
Victor would not be around
For the pennant year
That was 1965
Rousing cheers to hear
Victor left a legacy
There in Twinkie Town
Catching throws of every kind
Earning his renown
We loved Hrbek playing first
Years on down the road
Still there was no duplicate
In Vic Power's mold
Catching errant throws he did
In one-handed style
Back when it was not the norm
But it made fans smile
Power did his island proud
Ruben Gomez too
Then Clemente came along
Smacking hits straight through
There's Vic Power in my dreams
Like it's '62
Somehow we did not get nuked
By the Soviet crew
So we cherish memories
From the northern sun
When Vic Power showed his flair
With his bat and glove
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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